


Little Secrets

by meilunye



Category: Inazuma Eleven: Orion no Kokuin
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, nothing else just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 08:30:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21371194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meilunye/pseuds/meilunye
Summary: { Set after Ares, but before Orion }Asuto knows many sides of Haizaki most people are oblivious about, many little secrets he cherishes more than everything else in the world.
Relationships: Inamori Asuto/Haizaki Ryouhei
Kudos: 20





	Little Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this small fic for the Writober challenge back in 2018 (prompt 4, secrets) and way before Orion came and split up my babies (?). It’s just some simple and corny fluff because I wanted to get comfy with writing this ship ;v;  
It's just tooth-rotting, self-indulgent fluff, nothing more than that. :"D
> 
> As usual, please note that English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for any mistake. This is simply a translation of my original Italian writing.  
Enjoy!

There is something Asuto is terribly proud of – and that’s his friendship with Haizaki Ryouhei. He can’t deny their relationship is pretty weird, but finally after the longest time they left behind their fights and became a simple pair of good mates who joke with each other. Or, to be correct, Asuto is the one teasing him all the time and laughing at his embarrassed reactions.

Actually, he was the one who took the initiative from the start, when he tried to get to know him better. He used to follow him like a loyal puppy in spite of Haizaki’s rude remarks, to stop him after matches and training sessions, he ran to him when he met him downtown, and so on. One time he even entered an arcade full of crane games just to chat a couple minutes with him. For some reason even he couldn’t understand, Haizaki attracted him with the strength of a magnet.

Asuto’s favorite thing about their encounters is _how_ they always happen: at absolutely random moments. When it comes to the forward for Seishou Gakuen, Asuto happens to be exactly in the right place at the right time. And of course, he never hesitates to take advantage of the situation.

If he went around telling the things he had seen Haizaki do, no one would believe him. His tough personality is only a facade to cover up his sweet and gentle side he wants so bad to hide from the world. But it looks like fate demands it to be shown – at least to Asuto – considering how many times he has happened to witness some rare moments of weakness that immediately turned into precious little secrets he just couldn’t tell anyone.

The memory of the first time it happened is still fresh in his mind.

They hadn’t known each other for long. They had played one match against each other, and the only thing Asuto knew about him was how weird his soccer was – technically impeccable yet crazy at the same time. Aside from this, they were perfect strangers.

In the afternoon he had decided to stop by the local supermarket with Hiura to get some snacks, so they had sneaked inside the first conbini they had encountered on their way home.

While he was staring at the countless packages lined up on the shelves, waiting for an epiphany to strike him and suggest what to buy, a person with familiar locks of silver hair passed by and entered the nearest aisle.

A warning signal flashed in Asuto’s mind. At first, he didn’t think about Haizaki at all, he only recalled seeing that specific hair color not too long before. He cautiously moved some steps to peek inside that aisle and have a better look at who the stranger was. He almost choked when he recognized him. And he was even more shocked to see the items Haizaki was staring at: his rage-filled eyes were focused on... cat food.

When Asuto was a child, his mother had taught him not to judge people by their appearance – but he had to admit Haizaki didn’t really look like an animal lover or, even worse, an animal _owner_.

Haizaki felt his gaze on him and turned around. Asuto bounced behind the closest shelves, sticking his face between the cereal boxes on discount. He felt a little stupid for spying on him like that, almost as if he was the main character in a third-rate espionage movie. But he couldn’t let Haizaki see him – he knew he’d send him away, and he was too curious to see what he’d do with that cat food to let it happen. Did he own a cat? Was it a present for a friend? A real mystery indeed.

Haizaki couldn’t spot him and shook his head, focusing again on his objective. The packs of cat food all looked the same, there were simply some minor differences between one brand and the other. With a frustrated sigh, he grabbed a random package and dashed to the check-out. Only at that moment Asuto began breathing again, and took his head out of the shelf.

« What are you doing? », Hiura’s voice startled him all of a sudden.

« Shoosh! », he ordered. His friend gave him a confused look, and Asuto pointed at the direction Haizaki left in, without daring to turn around. What if he had seen him now? Did his wonderful espionage plan just fall through?

Hiura followed that invisible route and, as soon as he saw Haizaki, his eyes darted back on the dark-haired boy again. « Asuto, when did you become such a meddler? », he asked.

Hit right where it hurts. « I’m not a meddler! », he whined, « I’m... curious ».

« Well », Hiura crossed his arms, « Anyway, your target is leaving ».

Brief moment of sheer terror. Asuto turned around just to see Haizaki as he was leaving through the glass doors of the store. An attempt to escape! He quickly waved goodbye to Hiura and rushed to the chase. As soon as he set foot outside, the cold breeze smacked him right in the face and he started shivering.

Haizaki wasn’t that far. He had crossed the road and kept looking around in suspicion, as if he knew someone was following him. Asuto held his breath, hiding behind the cars and the buses speeding on the street, and relaxed only when he saw him move again.

He tailed him for a few minutes, occasionally taking advantage of various objects to stay concealed while walking. Haizaki’s behavior was extremely bizarre, and he was eager to find out what his secret was.

They reached a dark alley, and cold sweat started running down his neck. Haizaki was a tough guy, that’s for sure, and maybe a little crazy too, but he certainly didn’t look like the type who’d pick a fight in disreputable places... right? Was there some sort of illegal cat food trade, or something like that?

Nothing of the sort, thankfully. Asuto hid behind the corner and looked at him again. Haizaki was crouching on the asphalt, his schoolbag in his hands. He unzipped it and took out the pack of cat food he had just bought, along with a plastic dish. As soon as the gloppy food touched the plate, a couple loud meows rose from a dark corner.

Right in front of Asuto’s astonished eyes, the tiniest kittens he had ever seen jumped on the food and started devouring it as if it was a rich banquet. Haizaki touched them with a finger, gently, watching them as they ate their meal.

Asuto couldn’t believe that sight. There he was, the scary demon of the field, busy feeding stray cats with the loving expression of a worried mother. He was sure he’d never be able to look at him the same way now, not now that he had witnessed such a cute side of him, and he couldn’t help but thank fate for allowing them to meet that day.

He held back his laughter to prevent Haizaki from noticing him, but he took his phone out of his pocket and snatched a picture of him.

He didn’t want to show it to anyone. That sweet, caring smile had to be their first little secret.

He walked a different road to meet again with Hiura. On their way home, they crossed paths with Haizaki, and Asuto smiled at him with a conspiratorial gaze that he – obviously – didn’t understand.

* * *

He didn’t have to wait much to have a second opportunity. Football Frontier season was over, and Haizaki had officially joined Raimon, according to Kidou’s request.

Ever since their relationship had become less tense, right after their second match, Asuto couldn’t wait to get to know him more and more. They could be the greatest of friends, if only both of them wanted to. So it’s no surprise he was the happiest boy in the world when he heard about Haizaki’s transfer.

Playing in the same team as him was an experience he’d never thought he’d feel in his entire life. In spite of the initial problems, they worked very well together on the field... Too bad they couldn’t hang out in their free time too, since Haizaki didn’t live in the same area as them.

But as usual, their lucky encounters made up for this.

He was walking around town with Hiura once more, looking for new clothes and tracksuit to use at the world championship. Much unlike his friend, Asuto wasn’t a big fan of shopping and he usually tagged along just to buy ice cream or other snacks along the road.

Mansaku had come with them this time, and he and Hiura kept isolating themselves to talk about color combinations and other unintelligible stuff.

Asuto didn’t understand a jot of this, so he lazily walked a few steps behind them, bored. He stared at the countless winter jumpers lined up on the hangers, plunging his fingers in the soft cloth to feel their fluffiness. He searched through texts on his cellphone. He looked at the groups of girl friends chatting in the corridors of the shopping center.

A real nightmare. He _did_ need clothes – but choosing them, trying them on and thinking about how they’d match other things in his closet was too tedious for him.

Whenever they entered smaller stores, he didn’t even bother to go in – Hiura and Mansaku just dropped him on the nearest bench, shoved a glass of coke in his hands, and left him to his slow death.

The perfect distraction came by soon. He was looking at his friends, who were hurriedly browsing through hundreds of clothes on sale in a tiny outlet, when the umpteenth couple passed in front of him. The only thing Asuto managed to catch a glimpse of was a mop of gray hair and a familiar-looking black hat.

Haizaki was striding in the center of the corridor with a girl – Asuto guessed she was the _Akane_ he was told about many times. He held a pile of boxes in his arms and many bags were hanging from his wrists. Was he helping her with the shopping? How cute, that was something only a real gentleman would do...

His mind immediately ran back to an old conversation they had after a match. _“I’d play like a true gentleman if only you weren’t so irritating”_. He remembered his words so well, almost as if it had happened just the day before. And for some reason, seeing him with a girl made his heart ache a little...

But he wasn’t the type of person to overthink complicated things too much, so he simply paid no attention to his unpleasant feeling and kept staring at them while they left, mingling with the swarming crowd of that Saturday afternoon.

Luckily enough, he didn’t have to wait too long to see them again.

When Hiura came out of the store, with a big smile on his face after buying the perfect sweater, he found a rather contrite Asuto waiting for him. He was pouting and didn’t feel like talking at all, yet he insisted nothing had happened.

Hiura knew him well enough to know that it was impossible to make him spit things out when he decided to stay silent. All he could do was... try to cheer him up somehow.

And what’s better than an amusement park? After all, taking care of Asuto wasn’t any different than dealing with a puppy: when he was throwing a tantrum, one had to let him play and everything would be alright in the span of a second.

They stuffed all their purchases inside Mansaku’s bag and ran towards the attractions Asuto’s gaze focused on for more than a second. It was hilarious to see him go “Whoa! How did you know I wanted to try that one?” every time, and they often found themselves giggling behind his back for his adorable naivety.

He took a great liking to a specific roller coaster, so much that he basically _begged _them with his eyes to ride it again, and again, and again. He didn’t say a word, but he was wearing his thoughts on... his face, if anything.

They rode on that attraction for hours. On the 20th lap, Hiura’s eyes started to twitch. On the 30 th , Mansaku was on the verge of planning a murder. They couldn’t go on like this, they had to distract the baby somehow.

And just like manna from heaven, there he was, the perfect entertainment in the form of a gray-haired forward. Haizaki Ryouhei was standing right in front of them, with a worn out face and terror in his eyes.

They had been stunned so much by that roller coaster that they didn’t even notice he was riding on it as well. Not even Asuto.

But now he had seen him. Oh, he definitely had. Even the tips of his hair seemed to tense up like dog ears. He reached him with a few small steps. Was he alone this time?

« Haizaki? », he found the courage to ask.

As if she had heard his thoughts, Akane peeked from behind Haizaki’s arm. She didn’t say anything, but he gave him a warm, serene smile.

And once again, Asuto’s heart ached. Why, what was happening? He didn’t get it. He was glad to see those two talk again. Haizaki was always so angry and revengeful when she was hospitalized, while now he looked so relaxed... and of course he was happy about that. Why was he starting to doubt himself now? What were his feelings trying to tell him?

« Inamori », was Haizaki’s prompt answer.

He looked pale... Asuto observed him carefully. He reminded him of a ghost, as if he had just faced his worst fear. Great chance for some playful teasing, his favorite hobby. « How was the ride? », he asked.

Haizaki looked daggers at him. « Ha ha », he answered coldly, « Very funny, Inamori ».

Asuto burst out laughing. The way he reacted to the slightest provocation was hilarious, there was no way he could ever get bored of it. It could become an addiction, if anything. « The demon of the field is scared of roller coasters... », he went on with a giggle.

Haizaki blushed to the tip of his ears and lowered his gaze. « Stop it... », he ordered, oddly docile. If he was trying to scare him, well, that plan was a failure.

His hat was falling off his head, and his clothes were messy to show how hard he was struggling on his seat only a few minutes before. His hair was even more disheveled than usual thanks to the wind.

He was... cute. Asuto’s heart started throbbing in his chest as soon as he formulated that thought – what was that?! He had to change the topic somehow, to avoid showing him his embarrassment... he kept looking around, disoriented, his mind bouncing back and forward from one memory with Haizaki to the other. Right when he was starting to wish he could disappear or run away... he saw it.

Firmly tied to Haizaki’s wrist, a red bear-shaped balloon was floating happily in the air. Did it belong to Akane, or...

Haizaki noticed where he was looking. He had been found out. No word was needed, his eyes told Asuto everything he had to know.

_It’s a secret, if you tell someone about it I’ll kill you._

* * *

Thinking about these moments made him feel... weird. Honestly, every time he pictured Haizaki in his mind he felt butterflies in his stomach, and his face heated up.

Afraid he could have been struck by an illness, at some point he had decided to look up the symptoms. He didn’t like the results he got, though – the only websites that popped out were forums about couples or the love advice sections of teen magazines.

Love? Asuto was _in love_ with Haizaki? Really? He wasn’t that stupid, of course he knew what having a relationship meant – yet he never pictured himself with someone else. He thought he’d never be able to feel something like that for another person.

Only after reading some messages on line and spending a couple nights wide awake thinking about it, he understood it was indeed the undeniable truth. Yes, he was in love with Haizaki.

This realization scared him to the point he’d now freeze on the spot upon meeting him. If up to that moment he had been following him around, pretending it was a mere coincidence, just for the sake of adding more cute memories or more secrets to his imaginary list... right now, he couldn’t even get close to him anymore. He looked at him from afar, torn between his wish to talk to him and his fear of accidentally showing to him what he felt.

He missed being so natural around him. He was afraid he’d never get the chance to have a normal conversation with Haizaki again in his entire life, or at least not until he could let go of that supposed crush...

Asuto shook is head. He had no more time to waste. The sun was already setting and he was rushing back home, after a whole afternoon spent running errands for their coach. _Literally_ running.

He sped up, all the bags hanging from his arms swinging around with every step he took, and hitting his legs. There weren’t many people around town, only a few women with kids coming home from school, chatting with happy faces.

A ball rolled between his feet. Asuto lifted it up and looked in the direction it came from. A group of children were playing in a small field in the park, and they were all staring at him with begging eyes.

Asuto dropped the ball on the ground with a smile, ready to kick it back at them. And only in that moment, giving a better look at the park behind them so as to aim his shoot, he saw him.

Haizaki was training. He was repeatedly kicking a soccer ball against one of the fences. Asuto often went for walks in that area, but he couldn’t remember ever seeing him there, so close to the place he was staying at. He found himself blushing at the thought he might have been there more times than he could imagine. He wondered if they had met there in the past, when they didn’t know each other that well yet?

He kicked the ball and the kids grasped it firmly. They thanked him and rushed back to their game. Asuto hid behind a bush, as fast as lightning, and kept staring at Haizaki.

He was terribly embarrassed by his own thoughts, but he _had_ to admit that he looked so good with that soft orange light. His clothes were dark as usual, and the sweat drops running all over his face made his skin shine in the dim light.

He was so focused on the ball, as if he was entrusting his entire life to those kicks. He remembered how he was when they first met – so unpredictable, he played only when he felt like it and skipped lots of training sessions because he “wasn’t in the mood”... how much he had changed during that tournament.

The kids from before approached Haizaki. They were too far away for Asuto to overhear their conversation, but after a few seconds the gray-haired boy followed them to the small field. And, shockingly enough, he started playing with them.

Asuto couldn’t believe his eyes once again – that’s something he would have done without giving it too much thought, but... the proud Haizaki?!

It was fun to look at. Asuto sat on the grass, still hidden by the bush. The teams were unbalanced, of course, and even if the demon of the field was clearly holding back for them, he was still too big and skilled to be on their same amateurish level.

Such a focused, almost amused, look on him was a rare sight... His soccer was beautiful, when he forgot about his longing for revenge – Asuto knew that from the very beginning.

« Hey, big brother ». One of the kids had sneaked close to him, startling him. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice the game had stopped.

Haizaki looked in their direction and Asuto sank even more to the ground, sticking his face in the stingy leaves of the bush. His heart started racing so fast, that Haizaki could probably hear it even in spite of all that distance. He couldn’t be caught like that!

He gave the kid an annoyed look and brought a finger to his lips. « Shoosh! », he whispered.

It was like talking to a wall. « You’re a soccer player too, right? », his voice was irritatingly high pitched, he had blown up his cover for sure by now.

« Actually, yes », Asuto replied, still whispering, « Now shoosh, please ».

« Can you join us? We need a good player to balance the teams... ». He was tempted, he really was... but for the first time in his life, Asuto _did not_ want to play soccer. What would happen if Haizaki caught him in the act of spying on him? He would either kill him, or never talk to him again. And that was scary.

« Sorry, I have to go.. », he tried to say, and suddenly the kid’s eyes started watering up. Before Asuto could stop him, he burst out crying in the loudest voice he had ever heard. « Come on, don’t cry... ».

« Inamori! ».

Asuto’s life flashed in front of his eyes.

He had been caught.

He jumped back and fell on his butt. « H-Haizaki! », he stuttered, « What a coincidence! ».

The indifference card didn’t work. Haizaki crossed his arms and angrily looked at him from head to toe. « Are you following me? », he asked.

“_No, I saw you from afar and I started spying on you because I’d love to talk to you but I can’t find the strength, since I’m in love with you and I’m terrified you could find out”_. The truth was flashing in his mind in big letters, but of course he couldn’t say something so stupid. He had to make up some dumb excuse... too bad he wasn’t a good liar.

He cleared his throat. « Who, me? », he said, trying to sound as natural as possible. « What are you talking about? I came here by chance and... ».

« How long have you been there? », he didn’t even let him finish.

Of course he didn’t buy it. Asuto was out of ideas, he didn’t want to ruin their relationship by confessing his feelings, nor by making him angry.

His eyes moved to the ball the kid was holding. He got up on his knees and grabbed it, snatching it away from his hands.

« It doesn’t matter! », he yelled. He threw the ball in the air and, before it could land on the ground, he kicked it towards Haizaki. « Let’s play now! »

« Inamori! », Haizaki tried to protest, but it was too late. He stopped the shoot with his head, and in the meantime Asuto had run away. The kids followed him, and the game started over again.

With a frustrated sigh, Haizaki hit the ball and that conversation was forgotten forever.

* * *

Asuto lost count of how many hours passed. He would have never thought playing with some kids would be so entertaining... and before he could realize it, the afternoon was over and he was staring at the starry sky.

Maybe the reason he was so happy was Haizaki’s presence. It made him forget about his exhaustion too, and it paid him back for all the fear and terror he had experienced upon being caught.

Sadly, the moment had come to go back home, reluctant as he was to call it a day. He grabbed the bags he had left behind the bush and, after waving the kids goodbye, he set out along the road with Haizaki.

« I’ll go now! », Asuto unwillingly said. He wanted to thank him, yet he couldn’t find the proper words to do so without blushing. « Goodnight, Haizaki... ».

He tried to leave. But right in that moment, all the tiredness he had been holding up during the day took a toll on his body – his legs gave up for a mere second, just enough time for he to lose his balance and fall right on Haizaki. Luckily for him, the boy’s reflexes were good and he managed to save him before they both collapsed on the asphalt.

Now Asuto really felt like dying. Their faces were almost touching, and he was sure his cheeks were so red that they could be seen even in the pitch-black darkness of the night.

« Are you ok? », Haizaki asked, and he was so close Asuto could feel his breath on his forehead. His heart started racing in his chest, instantly. And when he lifted up his chin to look at him in the eyes, their lips touched lightly for a second. He jumped back, trying to get far from him.

« Sorry!! », he screamed, « I didn’t do it on purpose! I... ».

He was ready to get killed, yet... Haizaki burst out laughing. It was a real laugh, though, not one of his usual crazy sneers. The first one Asuto had ever heard. He couldn’t explain to himself how he could survive until now without knowing the sound of Haizaki’s laugh, and it was the most beautiful he had ever heard in his life.

It didn’t last long, but to Asuto it was the treasure of a lifetime. And the atmosphere became pleasantly relaxed.

« Thanks for today », he finally managed to say, free from any kind of pressure.

Haizaki blushed as well and looked down. « If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you », he said, not sounding that scary in spite of his sharp words.

Asuto giggled. He was adorable every time he lit up in embarrassment after showing his emotions. « Goodnight! », he said. In a small act of courage, he sticked out to press a little kiss on his cheek.

After that dangerous move, he didn’t hesitate one second and fled. He ran until he reached the gate of his team’s apartment, without ever looking back, in fear he could see a furious look – or, even worse, a disgusted one – on Haizaki’s face.

And, focused as he was on his escape, he couldn’t catch a glimpse of the smile on Haizaki’s lips, nor the way he didn’t look away from his back until he disappeared in the night.

That would be Haizaki’s little secret.


End file.
